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Eurogene and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) are on a legal collision course.
The Irish Farmers Journal understands artifical insemination (AI) services company Eurogene is considering taking legal action against the ICBF in an ongoing dispute over proposed legal contracts when farmers purchase semen.
The Irish Farmers Journal has learned that both parties met for high-level talks this week but at the time of going to print there was no common ground found.
It is understood that the nub of the problem is that Eurogene, which distributes Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) products, feels aggrieved that it is being treated unfairly compared with other Irish AI companies which have representatives on the board of the ICBF.
A short-term resolution between Eurogene/LIC and the ICBF was developed last month but this entailed removing some top New Zealand-bred sires from the Irish market.
The Irish Farmers Journal understands that Eurogene feels aggrieved that it has been tarnished with generating a “contract culture” and treated unfairly compared with other Irish companies that operate both whole-herd and individual contracts.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, a Eurogene spokesperson said the ball is back in ICBF’s court.
“We have had a frank exchange of views with ICBF management and we believe that agreements in good faith between our company and ICBF have been broken and we want a resolution.”
A spokesperson for ICBF said the dispute is complex.
“There are two issues core to this debate on ‘contracts for semen’ and they are: firstly, not restricting farmer rights on stock generated on farm; and secondly, not restricting genetics available to farmers. We can’t compromise on either of these for farmers.”
Both sides of the debate in the LIC / ICBF standoff
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